Of Mice And Men Notes

Of Mice And MenSetting Salinas Valley Natural, peaceful, beautiful: o "Green" "golden foothill slopes" Wildlife: o "Lizard" " Rabbits" "'coons" "heron" "coyote" "skittering" ­ onomatopoeia. Often visited & disrupted by man: o "Beaten hard" (x2) ­ use of ploce "limb is worn smooth" "the rabbits hurried noiselessly for cover" Lennie kills the mouse. Start and end of the novella ­ sows cyclic structure. The Bunk House Manmade, dull: o "long rectangular building" "whitewashed and floor unpainted". Uncomfortable, old and rotting" o "showing their burlap ticking" "boxes for the players to sit on". Gives us information about the ranch workers.: o "those Western magazines ranch men loved to read and scoff at and secretly believe" Shows how they dreamed they were more but wouldn't openly show it. o Very few belongings: "little articles" Had to be able to carry everything they owned on their back. Where the scene is set when Candy's dog is shot. o "A shot sounded in the distance". Shows the harshness of ranch life. Crooks' Room The "harness room", "leaned off the wall of the barn". With the animals: o "Crooks' bunk was a long box filled with straw". Just like where the animals sleep. Contains Crooks' several possessions, showing he's more permanent. The Barn Strong presence of nature: o "hay" "horses" "buzz of flies". Peaceful, calm: o "afternoon sun" Polysyndeton simple, lazy, calm. Scene where Lennie kills Curley's Wife. o Sunday afternoon. "Lazy" = (x2) = Ploce. Also, use of polysyndeton.

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Also kills dog = prolepsis.Themes Friendship & Loneliness George And Lennie: o Only true friends on the ranch. "`I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you.'"[Lennie] o Ranch life is lonely, but George and Lennie aren't: "`Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family they don't belong no place.'"[George] o George has to kill Lennie himself because it's the best thing for Lennie.…read more

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He [George] repeated his words rhythmically as though he had said them many times before.'" o "`We could live offa the fatta the lan'.'" o "`We'd belong there.'"[George] o "`Sure, we'd have a little house an' a room to ourself.'"[George] o "`An' it's be our own, an' nobody could can us.'"[George] o "`Nuts!'"[Crooks] o "This thing they had never really believed in was coming true." o "`an' every damn one of `em's got a little piece of land in his head.…read more

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He's segregated and rejected "``cause I'm black.'"[Crooks] o Ironic as he's most permanent worker on the ranch and had "accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back. o "`I tell you a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick.'"[Crooks] o "`If I say something, why it's just a nigger saying it. o Knows his rights: "`I got a right to have a light.'"[Crooks] Possessor of "a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905.…read more

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People open up to him, e.g// Crooks and Curley's Wife. This is important as it shows their prejudice and loneliness. Keeps George company and so keeps him sane. Wants the dream but for simpler reasons than George. o "I wanna tend the rabbits."[Lennie] Represents the mentally disabled in society and shows they need someone to look after them but can still be good for society, Lennie is "a hell of a good worker" and George's best friend.…read more

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I'll kill the big son of a bitch myself. I'll shoot 'im in the guts. Boss' son, "wore highheeled boots". Curley's Wife Quotes: o She had full, rouged lips and widespaced eyes heavily made up o I'm looking for Curley o Jesus, what a tramp o I never seen no piece of jailbait worse that her o She's gonna make a mess o They left all the weak ones here o I never get to talk to nobody.…read more